[ Academia ] [ Litigation ] [ Regulatory & Policy ] [ Transactional ] as a Related Elective for those interested in Finance : Lawyers who work with financial institutions should understand their basic principles of operation and how they are regulated. Securities lawyers and employee benefits lawyers also will find this course useful. It covers investment opportunities for both savers and "pass-through" banking institutions, such as those offered by investment funds and insurance companies. It also considers pensions and other savings plans offered by employers.

General course
Description:

Introduction to financial institutions reviews a broad range of institutions that accept money from savers and invest that money in stocks, bonds or other assets. The course will explain how each of these institutions provide services to their clients and how each is regulated by government agencies. The course will cover pass-through institutions where the savers receive the return on their investments minus management expenses -- mutual funds, hedge funds and sovereign funds. It also covers institutions offering savers some form of guaranteed returns -- banks, insurance companies and Fannie Mae. Finally, the course will cover pension plans, both defined contribution and defined benefit plans. The course is geared to the non-financial expert with background notes as well as case studies on actual institutions. The course is taught from the viewpoint of someone advising or dealing with these institutions, as well as a public official deciding upon regulatory policy. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance, Final Exam.